Unlimited
by The Songwriter's Ghost
Summary: What if Elphaba did something that night to convince Glinda to come with her, to abandon everything she knew just to be with her? Where would their stories have gone from there? Gelphie, switching between Glinda and Elphie's POV. Rated for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_Okay, I've been reading Wicked fanfiction for weeks now to try and get inspiration, and it's finally hit me. This is my first ever Wicked fic, as well as my first ever chapter story, so I apologize if it sucks. Hopefully it won't. I love reviews, and they are what are going to keep this story alive and well. You guys are my motivators, so __**please**__ send me reviews if you want this story to continue. Flames are welcome as long as they contain constructive criticism._

_If lesbian romance/sex bothers you, I would advise that you leave now. The romance part is evident from chapter one, and though I'm not entirely sure yet, I think there will eventually be at least one lemon at some point in this story, hence the M rating._

_Wicked does not belong to me, or Gelphie would absolutely be canon._

_So, without further ado, I give you..._

**Unlimited**

Chapter One

"Glinda...come with me." I say, searching her eyes desperately for any hint as to what she might be thinking. My decision is made, but even still, I have no idea what I'll do if Glinda decides to stay behind.

"Think of what we could do...together. We'd be unlimited! No one could stop us! No one, Glinda. Just think about it. Together, we could become greater than the Wizard ever was!" I try to appeal to her sense of ambition, hoping that her need for recognition and fame will be enough to convince her to come with me. But still I see the shadows of doubt lingering in her gaze.

"Elphie, I..." She's going to refuse, I know it; she's going to turn her back and leave me! I can't let that happen! I love her too much to let her go.

But what can I do? How can I persuade her to follow me, knowing that I'll be leading her into danger? What could I possibly do or say that would sway her?

Tell her I love her?

But no, I couldn't. She knows nothing of my feelings for her. And she has a boyfriend! She would never be interested in me; a girl, and a green one at that!

"Elphie, I can't..." she starts, turning away. No!

"Why not? I ask quietly, quaveringly.

"What about my parents?" she asks, "What about my other friends, what about Fiyero-"

Not giving myself the chance to consider the repercussions that are sure to follow, I grab her arm and turn her around to face me. In seconds, my lips are on hers, as I try to communicate everything - my love, my fear, my desperation, my hurt - through the flawless synchrony of my lips on hers.

I draw back, and whisper to her a single word.

"Please."

I see uncertainty in her eyes, but there is a new resolve in her voice when she captures my eyes and says, waveringly, "Okay."

An overwhelming rush of relief and guilt washes over me as she agrees to come with me. I move to embrace her, but I'm interrupted - the guards have found us.

"Quick, get on!" I hold out the broom to Glinda, who gets on. I then mount the broomstick myself, wrapping my arms protectively around her, and kick off, rising into the air just as the guards draw close. I urge the broom onward, away from the Emerald City, eager to be away from the Wizard and his lackeys.

Only when the City is miles away do I finally allow myself to relax, and the broom to slow.

I realize Glinda hasn't said a word since we took off. I put a hand on her shoulder, and realize that she's quaking like a leaf in the wind. "Glinda...you're trembling."

I can feel her tense up, trying to quell the shivers coursing through her body. She's terrified.

"Shhh, my sweet. We're safe for now." I whisper in her ear. After a few moments' pause, I say "Thank you. For coming with me."

No answer.

"It means a lot to me." I add.

She doesn't make a sound, but nods and leans into me, shoulders still shaking. She sniffles, alerting me to a fact that I hadn't noticed; she's crying. Not knowing what else to do, I wipe the tears from her face, ignoring the sting, and hold her.

The rest of the ride passes in silence.

It is nearly dawn when our feet touch the ground once more. I fall to my knees when we land, my knees buckling under the combined weight of exhaustion and pure fear, which until now I had not dared allow myself to feel. Glinda falls down next to me.

She seems calmer now than she was, but fear is still evident in her voice. "Where are we, Elphaba?"

"...I'm not sure." I answer. "I know we're in Munchkinland, but specifically...I don't know."

She pauses for a moment to take this in. Looking me in the eyes, she says "...Okay."

She looks as if she is going to say more, but she is interrupted by a loud crack of thunder. I look up, and my heart sinks. It's going to rain.

Glinda jumps to her feet. "Elphie, we need to find shelter. We need to get you out of the rain." Suddenly all fear and weakness is gone from her voice. She grabs my hand and pulls me up, and we begin searching for a place to hide under to avoid the rain.

We don't find shelter fast enough to completely escape the rain, however. We begin searching even more frantically as I feel the rain scalding my skin. The rim of my hat provides protection for my face, but my hands are uncovered, and I begin to feel the rain seeping through my clothes, creating burns wherever it touches.

But I grit my teeth against the pain, and a few minutes later we find cover; a rocky overhang jutting off a hill. It isn't much, but it manages to protect us from the rain.

I sit down, back against the rocky wall of the overhang, and close my eyes. I soon open them again, though, as I feel soft fingers touch my hand.

Glinda takes my hand gently in her own, inspecting the angry red burns the rain has left on it. "Elphie, your hand..."

"My hand will be fine in a few days, Glinda, as will the rest of my burns. We got out of the rain fast enough to avoid ay lasting damage."

"But-"

"Really, Glinda, I'll be fine."

She looks at me doubtfully, but doesn't protest again. The slow burning sensation covering my skin dulls, slowing to a sore ache as my clothes begin to dry. I close my eyes once more, feeling Glinda sit against the rock as well, right next to me. She still hasn't let go of my hand.

I feel her turn to face me.

"Elphaba?"

I open my eyes, turning to face her.

"Yes?"

"Back in the Emerald City..." she begins, falteringly, "Before we left, you asked me to come with you...and you..." She brings her free hand up to her lips, touching them, remembering. "What was that...?" She trails off, but the question is clear. She wants to know what that kiss meant.

I can't deal with this right now. I don't know what to say, how to explain. And if it comes out wrong, I fear she might leave me yet.

"Glinda, I'm sorry to ask this, but...can this...wait? I swear I will tell you, I'll explain everything, I promise, but...can I have until tomorrow? Just to figure things out?"

She hesitates for a moment, then nods. Withdrawing her hand from my own, she turns so her back is against the wall again. I do the same, not moving my hand from the spot where she left it.

I close my eyes again, willing the sound of the rain to lull me to sleep.

I lay like that for a long time, as sleep seems determined to evade me. At some point, Glinda's hand finds my own again, and our fingers intertwine.

We sit there in silent companionship like this, until sleep claims us both.


	2. Chapter 2

**Firstly, I am really sorry it's taken me this long to get this second chapter up. I've been really busy, and after posting the first chapter I wasn't quite sure where I was going to go with this story, so it took me a while to figure that out. I promise I won't keep you waiting this long in future.**

**Please review? It would be much appreciated.**

**I wish Glinda and Elphaba were mine, but alas, they are not.**

**Thanks to my amazing beta, Throppsicle. If you have time, and you haven't already, I highly suggest you go look up her story, Unadulterated Something. It's definitely a worthwhile read.**

_I'm surrounded by a thick fog. I frown in irritation; this will absolutely ruin my hair!_

_But before my mind can travel further down that route, I hear a voice through the mist._

_It's Fiyero! I run toward the sound, but stop as I hear another voice from the opposite direction._

_Elphie!_

_"Glinda!" both voices call, their voices reaching out to me. _

_But how can I choose? My best friend, or my boyfriend? I stand frozen, caught between the two. When I finally move, it is toward Fiyero's voice._

_I run toward him through the fog, following his confident tone. But when I reach the source of the voice, I am not met with the brown skin and blue diamonds of a Winkie prince._

_No, instead I am met with the sharp curves and green skin of my roommate. Elphaba, my worst enemy turned best friend. And in Fiyero's voice, she whispers to me._

_"Hello, my sweet."_

Waking with a start, I look around. Why am I here? Why am I not in my fluffy pink bed in our dorm, while Elphie gets ready for class or reads a book in the corner?

But then I remember. The Wizard, the monkeys, the broom, the rain... A weight settles on my chest with the realization.

My gaze wanders to my left, to my empty hand. Raising my eyes, I see her cloaked figure, topped with that ridiculous hat. A shiver runs down my spine as I remember my dream. She called me her sweet...just like she did on the broom. And on the roof, she kissed me...

What does any of this mean?

As I look more closely at my roommate, I notice she has her arms crossed, and her shoulders are hunched. She looks so small... How can she - how can I - how can we stand up to the Wizard and his entire army?

Getting up, I'm aware of a stiffness in my back. I grimace, then walk toward her. I reach my hand out and rest it on her shoulder, earning a momentary flinch.

"Glinda!" she exclaims, turning to face me. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were awake!

"...How are you?" she inquires anxiously after a pause. I muster up as much of a smile as I can.

"As well as one can be, under the circumstances."

Guilt flits across her face, and I know I've not been convincing enough. She turns back in the direction she was facing before. "It's still raining," she says. "I don't know how long it'll last, but I don't think we should just sit here waiting for it to stop... It could keep going for days, and we'll need food and a more secure place to stay. We aren't safe here."

Elphaba strides briskly over to the wall of our overhang, picking up her cloak from its place on the ground and throwing it on. She walks out, straight toward the rain, beyond the protection of our small shelter, but before she can step into the falling water, I grab her hand, pulling her back.

"Elphie, stop! You can't go out there! You'll burn yourself again!"

She pulls away, but I don't let go. "Glinda, we have no choice. We can't just sit here. And the cloak will keep the water off me for a while anyway. It's worth a few burns if I can find us some food, or a safer shelter."

I bite my lip. She's right, we have to do something, but she can't go out in the rain. Despite what she says, she could get seriously hurt! And knowing her, she'd keep going until she was too badly hurt to move.

"I'll go."

Her eyes widen. "No, Glinda, you don't have to-," she protests.

"Yes I do, Elphaba. You'll get burned if you go, and if anyone sees you, you're dead. I don't stand out like you do, and water doesn't hurt me."

She lowers her eyes, and I soften my tone.

"Please, Elphie. You can't go out there."

She nods, avoiding my eyes. I turn to go, and feel two hands reach around to the front of my neck, fastening the cloak around my shoulders. She gives my shoulder a squeeze, but I don't turn around.

I'm afraid if I do, she'll see the fear I'm trying so hard to hide.

"Be careful," she says, and, pulling my hood up, I walk quickly out into the rain. Not letting myself look back in case it breaks my feeble resolve, I keep walking until Elphie is out of sight.

I try to focus. Food and shelter - that's what I'm looking for. But the further I walk, the more I find myself distracted. I feel the rain seeping through the cloak. I hear a rustling sound behind me, and I whirl toward the sound, barely stifling a scream. Who's there? But it's just a squirrel.

Shaking my head with a frown, I tell myself I'm just being silly. Elphie wouldn't let a few small noises bother her.

She'd just keep going right about her business...which I forgot. Right. Food. Shelter. Got it.

But I keep walking, and find nothing. A few animals (hopefully not Animals) run by, but I don't have anything to catch or kill one with. Not that I would have the slightest idea what to do with it even if I did manage that much.

It seems shelter is nowhere to be found either; this is becoming more and more evident as I grow colder and wetter with each passing moment.

But Elphie's counting on me to do this, so, wrapping my arms around myself and pulling the soaked cloak tighter about me, I keep looking.

Eventually, I stumble into a small clearing. Near the edge of the open space stands a tree, with enough leaves and branches to keep most of the rain from hitting the ground.

I rush under it, sitting and leaning my back against its trunk.

Sighing, I hold my head in my hands. What am I doing? I shouldn't be here.

I should be at Shiz, sleeping through another of those boring Algebrication lectures. I should be in town, shopping and gossiping with Pfannee and Shenshen and Milla. I should be going on a date with Fiyero, and he should be walking me back to my dorm and kissing me goodnight.

I should be with Elphie in our room, playing with her hair and listening to her talk about Animal rights, or some equally boring and complicated political matter that I care next to nothing about, just for the sake of hearing her speak.

But instead I'm here, cold, wet, and terrified out of my mind, all because of one decision I made for reasons I can't really explain myself.

It just sort of seemed to...happen. She kissed me, and I got this sort of warm feeling inside and for once, I said what I wanted to say, instead of what I knew I should say. I told her yes, I would go with her. And I was afraid, yes. But it wasn't until now that the gravity of the decision really hit home.

This isn't something I can undo. I defied the Wizard of Oz! The most powerful man in the country! I can't just go back and say sorry and make it all better this time. I can't go back to the comfortable, shallow, safe life I've always led until now.

This is reality now. It's not a game, there's no rematch, no do-over. If I screw up just once, I lose. And it's all over.

But I don't know what to do! The most dangerous thing I've ever done is run across the campus of Shiz in heels! And now I'm on the run from the law and I'm living in the woods and it's raining and Elphie's allergic to water and I can't even find food or shelter and I'm completely useless!

Elphie should never have asked me to come with her. It's not as if I could ever be of any help.

Giving up on the idea of ever finding anything, I rise to return to our meager shelter, resigned to telling Elphaba that I failed.

Walking out of the clearing, I head back in the direction I came from. But somewhere on the way back, I realize that I don't have a clue where I am. All these trees look the same to me! I can't see the overhang I left this morning, I don't see anything that gives me any hint as to where I am, where I'm supposed to be going.

With a nervous gulp, I keep walking, praying to Lurline, to the Unnamed God, to the Kumbric Witch herself that I'm walking the right way. I hear a twig snap behind me and look back frantically, but see nothing.

I speed up anyway, my walk turning into a run. I can feel my heart racing faster and faster as hysteria threatens to overtake me. Where am I? Where is the overhang? Where is my Elphie?

I feel like I'm being watched by every bird, every animal, every tree in the forest. All of them just waiting for a young, helpless, lost girl like me to walk in and become prey to some savage beast.

I start sprinting. I need to get out of here. I need to get to safety.

I run for what feels like hours, but I know must be mere minutes, never looking behind me for fear of what I might see. But eventually, Lurline be praised, our shelter comes into view, and in this moment it looks like the safest stronghold in all of Oz, with Elphie standing in its shadow.

Putting every bit of energy I have in me into the last distance between she and I, I run over faster than I've ever run in my life.

And I don't stop once I get under the overhang. I keep going, crashing into Elphie and throwing my arms around her. I am reduced to a blubbering idiot as I cling to her.

"Oh, Elphie!" I cry, burying my face in the taller girl's chest. "I'm so sorry, I went out in the rain and I couldn't find food or shelter and I stopped and I was cold and wet and tired so I gave up and went back but I got lost and I didn't know where you were and I was so scared and I'm sorry Elphie please forgive me!" I say this all in one big rush, which combined with the fact that it's muffled by Elphie's chest probably makes it completely unintelligible.

When I pause to breathe after my outburst, I notice that the green girl hasn't said a word. However, her entire body has tensed in my arms.

Oh, Lurline! I'm soaking wet!

I release her immediately, stepping back from her and tearing up again as I see angry red marks forming on her hands and arms. "Oh my god, Elphie, I'm so sorry, I forgot-"

She shushes me, walking toward me. "It's okay, Glinda. It was a mistake, you didn't mean to burn me. And anyway, you let go soon enough that the burns will probably be gone in a couple of hours. No lasting damage."

I sniffle, not entirely believing her, but knowing that she's saying this to make me feel better.

"But you, on the other hand," she continues, "must have been soaked for hours now! You could get seriously sick like that. We need to get you out of those clothes and get you dried off and warmed up."

I flush. I've just burned her, and she's still worrying about me! "I'm fine," I say stubbornly.

"Glinda, you're shivering. You're obviously freezing! Don't try to tell me you're fine."

I give her a stubborn glare for a few moments more before relenting.

"You worry too much about me," I mutter.

"You give me a lot to worry about."

Then we grow silent. I remember what she's asked me to do and heat rushes to my face. I see Elphie's eyes widen, turning her head with a cough as the blood rushes to her own cheeks, and I know the implications have reached her as well.

Face flushed a darker green, she turns her back to me in order to give me what privacy she can, given the situation. Trying to ignore the nerves causing my pulse to race, I let the cloak fall from my shoulders and slip my soaked yellow dress off my body, shivering as the cold air hits my bare skin. My gaze flicks back to Elphie, still looking stiffly away, studying the rain.

I lay my dress out flat on the ground and then, crossing my arms in front of my chest, I speak quietly. "Elphie?"

She starts to turn toward me, but stops herself, clenching her jaw. "Yes, Glinda?"

"I'm cold."

She freezes. Is that fear that just crossed her face? Now guilt? And was that...? No. It couldn't be.

Now the darkened look that I saw flash through her eyes is gone, replaced by a carefully blank expression. She beckons for me to join her by the rocky wall of our shelter. I walk over, and we sit down together. She wraps me, in naught but my bra and underwear, in gentle arms.

I look up at her, but her eyes are anywhere but on me. I let my own eyes wander over her face, tracing her strong cheekbones up to her sharp amber eyes.

She really is beautiful. Not in the traditional sense, but there's a certain grace, a certain dignity in the sharpness of her features. There's a feral quality to her that at once frightens and draws one in.

And then my eyes drift down to her lips, and I quickly look away, suddenly nervous. That kiss...

It only lasted a few moments, but that terrifying, exhilarating feeling is still there, echoing in the back of my mind. I want so badly to know what this feeling is, but there's a wordless, thoughtless fear that keeps me from the truth.

But aside from what the kiss has done to me...what's more important is what it meant to Elphie. What did it mean to _her?_ My eyes creep back up to her face and I open my mouth to ask, but something stops me. Is it the tightness in her jaw, the constant shifting of her eyes? Or is it again this feeling of apprehension suffocating me?

I shove the thoughts aside, and thread my fingers through hers, leaning my head against her shoulder. I try to ignore the way she tenses up, and the slight shivering of her hand. I'm sure it's just the cold.

My mind's slowing down. I'm falling asleep, and I gladly welcome the inviting darkness. It feels like it's been days since I last slept, so I let the warmth of her arms keep me safe, push the questions aside, and let myself drift off.

The last things I know before slipping into oblivion are the sigh she gives, shakier than I've ever heard her, and the feeling of her lips pressed softly to my head.


	3. Chapter 3

**Again, many apologies for not updating sooner. I'm already in the process of writing the next chapter, so hopefully I'll be able to update in a week or so this time...**

**Many, many thanks to Throppsicle for beta-reading for me. You've been a great help. Also, I owe my undying gratitude to Ridiculous Mavis for helping me with this story as well. If you guys haven't read either of their stories yet, I highly suggest you do; they're both phenomenal writers.**

**Glinda and Elphie are not mine. I'm just borrowing them to fulfill the wishes that were crushed by the nonetheless brilliant writers of the book and the musical.**

I wake up with a sigh. I hadn't meant to fall asleep. With a frown, I move my head from its resting place against Glinda's shoulder. I twist my head a few times in either direction - my neck is cramping up from lack of movement all night.

The rain hasn't stopped. I can't help but worry that it might not stop anytime soon. Something has to be done about it.

The Grimmerie! There could be a weather spell in the book, something that could stop the rain. Why did I not think of this sooner? If I had, Glinda wouldn't have had to go out in the rain. She wouldn't have come to me crying and absolutely terrified. She wouldn't have had...to...strip her clothes off and huddle next to me to get warm and dry.

My mouth goes dry as that particular memory comes to mind and my eyes are inexorably drawn down to look at the girl in my arms. Even now the sight of her, gold hair matted and tangled, skin covered in tiny scrapes and cuts from the bushes and brambles she's encountered in the woods, causes my breath to catch in my throat.

My gaze travels from her face, down the line of her jaw. It follows the curve of her neck, the graceful slope of her bare shoulder, down the softly formed muscles of her arms, until my eyes come to rest on my own hands, wrapped possessively around her slight frame.

Long, bony, sickeningly green fingers curl around the blonde's arms. My own arms, scrawny, gangly, that same shade of sickly jade, encircle her as if she is mine to claim.

She is not. She is _not_ mine. She _can't_ be mine. These arms, binding her so jealously to my person, have no right to hold her so.

I release her quickly, my hands clenching as I fight the urge to touch her again. Thankfully she doesn't wake, despite the sudden movement.

As I move away from Glinda, I wrench my eyes away from her sleeping form, training them instead on the old, leather-bound book on the ground nearby. Just focus. There's no point thinking about something you'll never be able to change.

I am careful not to disturb her as I rise. I walk softly over to the Grimmerie, and I'm glad to find that it remains mostly untouched by the rain - thankfully, I must have placed it far enough under the overhang for it to escape the water. Actually, I suppose we're just lucky I didn't drop it somewhere along the way; if I had lost it, it would have fallen straight back into the hands of those tyrants. The Wizard and his witch - Morrible. I could never have forgiven myself if I had allowed that to happen...I give a shudder at the thought of what they could - what they would - do with the ancient tome.

But, back to the current question...how to stop the rain. I open the worn leather cover, soothed by the familiar sound of rustling pages. I let my eyes sweep across the first sheet. The script here isn't like any normal book; it shifts and flows, and is written in no language I've ever seen before. Yet, something about it seems so achingly familiar... It tugs at my mind; my heart. I remember this...some buried part of me knows these words, and though I've never seen them in my life, I know what they mean.

The first page: _Levitation_. The incantation is inscribed below. A bit mundane for a spell straight out of the legendary Grimmerie, isn't it? Though, maybe I shouldn't be surprised. I suppose at one point it must have been regarded as nothing more than a typical sorcery textbook; it probably has the more challenging spells further into the text.

Flipping the pages, I skim for a weather spell, but with no luck. I find spells to make plants move, to give oneself gills, to summon dragon...but not one mention of a spell to control the weather, and nothing on making one impervious to water.

I keep looking, though. There _has_ to be something of use in here. _How __to __Conjure __Fire...How __to __Enhance __Eyesight... How __to_ -

"Elphie?" A voice says form behind me, and I jump slightly, startled. Glinda walks to my side and sits down. I was so engrossed in the Grimmerie I didn't hear her walking up behind me. I'm lucky it was only her. I need to stay on guard; the Gale Force could be nearby even now.

I flush as I look over at her; she has my cloak wrapped around her, but the rest of her clothes are still laid out on the ground not far away. They must not be dry yet.

She leans her shoulder against mine. I try not to react, but I can't help but gulp once, nervously. Peering over at the book in my lap, she squint her eyes and tilts her head.

"Can you really read that?" Glinda asks. "All I can see is a bunch of squiggly lines."

"It's not...reading, exactly. It's more like I just...know." My brow furrows as I try to explain. "I don't recognize the language, exactly, and I can't tell precisely what's written verbatim. "But I _do_ know the basic meaning behind the symbols. Like this here," I say, gesturing to the yellowed page. "This page gives an incantation that freezes time within a set space."

"Like you did that day in Dr. Nikidik's class?"

"Exactly," I reply, allowing myself a small smile. "Although it wasn't strictly intentional then."

Glinda nods in understanding. "So," she says, "what are you looking for now?"

"I'm looking for a spell to stop this _damned_ rain," I respond, nodding in the direction of the offending weather with a scowl. "We're stuck here until it stops, and the Wizard has his Gale Force hunting for us right now, no doubt."

I can't help the spark of hurt I feel as I mention the man. He lied. He lied to me. He lied to all of Oz! He let us all believe that he was magical, and that he was doing good - and all the while, he was persecuting defenseless Animals, manipulating people into believing that they were...that they were wrong, they were _beneath_ us. That they deserved to be driven out of their homes. I never saw any of it. I just went right on believing in him, like everyone else. I never thought for a single clock tick that he would do anything so _cruel_.

I swallowed every lie he fed me, right up until I found the truth staring me in the face in the guise of a Monkey screeching in pain as bloody wings tore from the skin of his back.

A hand touches my arm and I glance up to see Glinda looking at me, with an expression that is equal parts understanding and concerned. I look away for a moment before setting my jaw; I need to push these thoughts aside for now. "So," I continue, "we need to find a way out of here soon, before they find us. We made a fair distance on the broom, but we need to get further away from the City if we don't want to get shot or captured."

Regret hits me immediately when I see the look of terror on Glinda's face. Why did I mention that part? I fumble for words to reassure her. "I-I mean, I don't think they'll hurt you if they find us! I'm the one they're after, not you."

But rather than calming down, the look of panic on her face only grows in response.

I try a different tack. "Anyway," I say quickly, "I think we probably have a few more days before we have to worry about them catching up to-"

I stop abruptly at the sound of heavy boots marching nearby. A sick feeling settles in my stomach. I was wrong.

They're already here.

"Elphie?" I hear Glinda speak from behind me, voice high with fear. I try to ignore her, now flipping furiously through the Grimmerie. There has to be _something_ in here!

In the background I hear a voice, and the marching stops. "They've been here," a man states. "The witch and her accomplice have been here, no less than a day ago. They can't have gone far; at some point they would have had to take shelter form Morrible's rain."

Morrible! Of course, I should have realized it was her! After all, she told me herself; weather is her specialty. And she knows about my allergy - of course she would think to turn that against me!

Knowing this, I don't even need the Grimmerie. During one of Morrible's lectures last year, she explained how to dispel magic wrought by others. There was an incantation... "What was it?" I curse under my breath. I _know_ she said it. Why can't I remember?

I can hear the leader order the men to search the area. Boots crunch through the leaves strewn across the ground, and I hear some of them getting closer. What was that damn incantation?

Okay. It started with an S. "Sol...Solvi..." The sound of footsteps getting ever closer distracts me, and I try to ignore the fear gnawing at my gut.

"Solvi alicus per..." I start uncertainly. Then, finally, it clicks. I've got it!

"_Solvi __alicus, __permi __effica __de __sisto __libera_," I chant furiously under my breath, my voice thrumming softly with power, "_stavingen __essra __umsont __fael __dula_!"

I can feel the rain begin to cease as I continue to chant. Unfortunately, the soldiers also seem to have noticed. "They're still here," one of them exclaims.

I waste no time in rising to my feet, never faltering in my incantation. Snapping the Grimmerie shut and tucking it under my arms, I hurry over to where the broom lies, propped up against the wall of the overhang. I grab it and turn toward Glinda, who faces me, petrified, with a look of such abject fear that the dread I'm trying to suppress begins to bubble up again.

I shove it back down before it can overwhelm me and, still chanting, I motion for Glinda to get on.

For a moment she doesn't move, frozen with fear. I step over and grab the girl's arms, pulling her roughly toward me and gesturing again for her to mount the broom. She seems to snap out of her fearful daze for a moment and does as I indicate, and I get on behind her, wrapping my arms around her to grasp the broom handle. I kick off just as a young officer spots us, and I hear a shout followed by the sound of gunfire. I urge the broom on faster, and for a moment my concentration breaks, causing me to stumble over my words. Immediately I feel the moisture gathering in the air.

I quickly resume the spell before the rain begins to fall, and soon we are beyond the range of the Gale Forcers' guns. I relax a little now that we are out of immediate danger; but it doesn't last for more than a moment.

As soon as I let my guard down, a searing pain strikes me. My head is throbbing, it feels like someone has reached into my mind and is squeezing with all their might, choking all conscious thought into oblivion and leaving a screeching ringing sound reverberating in my skull.

Caught off guard, my breath catches at the sudden assault and I struggle to keep my voice steady as I recite the incantation. The broom dips slightly as I fight to both chant and fly at once through the pain in my head, and I can vaguely hear Glinda say my name. She's afraid. Concerned.

For herself?

For me?

This thought and any others are blown away when the pain intensifies and, all of a sudden, a voice invades my consciousness.

"Why Miss Elphaba, my dear! How very nice to see you again," says the familiar voice, dripping with a sugary tone of mock sincerity. "I'm afraid we parted over somewhat of a misunderstanding in our last meeting. You see, you've made a rather fatal mistake. I only wish to offer you one last chance to change your mind."

My mind is too clouded by pain and the deafening screeching noise to form a reply. Keeping my eyes trained ahead and the words of power flowing from my mouth, I send her as much contempt as I can muster.

I wince as my response angers Morrible and the pain increases more still. "Foolish girl," the voice says knowingly. "You don't _really_ believe you have a choice, do you? You always were my most intelligent student; surely you can see how this will end."

White spots are appearing in front of my eyes, and this time I don't respond. After a moment's pause in which the screeching pain does not relent, the voice sounds in my head once more.

"Very well, Miss _Elphie_. I shall play along with your little game for now... Just know that in choosing this you are dooming not only yourself, but your precious _Glinda_ as well. And when you see the light leave her eyes, know that you have only yourself to blame." With those final words, the pain in my head goes white-hot, ripping an agonized noise from deep in my throat.

Everything fades to black, and the last thing I hear before the last of my consciousness slips away is Glinda's voice.

"Elphie!"


End file.
